The three-day convention, which kicked off in Florida on Thursday, has been paying host to a whole bunch of Star Wars folk as well as fans of the franchise.

And Lucas shared his own feelings about Fisher – who died in December last year – perfectly as he described just how well she inhabited the role of Princess Leia.

‘She was a princess, she was a senator, she played a part that was very smart and she was having to hold her own against two big lugs and goofballs who were screwing everything up,’ he explained.

‘When Carrie came in, she was that character. She was very smart, very funny, very tough. There aren’t very many people like her, they are one in a billion and, for this part, it was perfect because she could hold her own.’

‘She wore a dress through the whole thing but she was the tough one of the group. It was a hard part to play, but she pulled it off brilliantly.’